Counting on Counter Service

So we bought a building... a shop that has been trading for 82 years selling hardware, pet food and everything in between. It was 1933 when Arthur Oliver Janes opened the doors of 595 Cowbridge Road East as a gardening shop. His sons, John and Cliff, took on the business following their fathers death and they managed it right up to 1984.

Image courtesy of Wales Online 2015

From 1984 to 2015 F Janes Sons has been in the loving and capable hands of Mohammed Saddique, or Sid as everyone locally knows him. I first met Sid when wandering into the shop on my way to Pettigrew Tea Rooms one day back in September 2014. I had coincidentally been talking to Rhian next door in Fablas Ice Cream about the area.

Sid had put up a handwritten sign in his busy shop window, announcing the sale of his shop due to his retirement. Anyone who knows Sid knows he has been struggling with his knees for the last couple of years and being in the shop every day seven days a week was taking its toll, Sid is also a workaholic!

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/one-stop-hardware-shop-new-10051047

I first fell in love with the Shop front of 595 Cowbridge Road East. The stunning green tiles, the large open doors and fantastic glass windows framing the shop and inviting you in from the busy street. I strolled in that day to be greeted by Sid who is one of the kindest, genuine business men I have ever met.

Sid has run his business and kept it relevant in a Cardiff which is unrecognisable from when he took the keys in the mid eighties. A World of Pets At Home, Supermarkets, DIY superstores and of course the Internet for online shopping. I have met so many shop owners who have talked of this 'Death by a Thousand Cuts', from the way shopping habits have changed. Sid offered something pretty amazing that I agreed to continue when we shook hands on the sale of 595. Sid kept his business relevant by providing a friendly, professional, personal counter service that went above and beyond for his customers. Sid delivered to the door where others wouldn't bother to offer, he knew his customers by name and could always find a solution to their problems, often finding it hidden deep somewhere in the shop.

A very apt sign in Sids shop read "we stock much more than meets the eye, please ask we aim to please"

Sid has now taken his well deserved retirement, although you can find him still servicing several local clients and he will be a regular face in Victoria Park for many years to come. It has been a pleasure getting to know Sid, his lovely wife Farukh and their family.

The traditional shop keeper and service

A traditional Bakery shop serving a traditional style of counter service is our goal. Sid's success was on having what people wanted, and giving it to them in a unique way that made people want to visit. Our bakery will give back counter service and wholesale delivery to our customers looking for both traditional and innovative baked goods.

Image courtesy of Wales Online 2015

We have learnt a great deal from Pettigrew Tea Rooms, our home inside the West Lodge has meant that our working areas have always been fully on display. Everything we do at the tea rooms is on show and we have turned this into a strength, you may have enjoyed all those cake baking smells! That is why our new bakery will be wide open. When you come through our doors you will be able to see our professional bakers at work right there behind our counters baking your daily bread. Our head baker was so excited with the idea of having the bakery open, he is looking forward to getting to know you and talking about his passion for all things bread.

Whether you are dropping in for your morning coffee, freshly baked breads, patisserie, cakes, sandwiches or hand-picked deli items, there will always be someone on hand for a chat over the counter.

In addition to counter service Pettigrew Bakeries is about the wholesale supply of bread and bakery produce to the incredible hard working independents of South Wales and beyond. We have already been meeting independent business' to discuss what they want in a product that reflects their quality, consistency and expertly crafted produce. Hopefully it won't be too long before you spot a Pettigrew Bakery loaf on the menu of any one of the incredible restaurants, hotels, cafes, tea rooms, pop-ups, street food superstars, deli's and shops in the City.

We can't wait to get started!

The handshake handover Summer 2015

Thanks for the warm welcome to Victoria Park

We now have a Facebook Page full of pictures of the building works as we breathe new life into this stunning community shop, which we would love if you LIKED just click HERE https://www.facebook.com/PettigrewBakeries/

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Pettigrews

Pushing Change Pushing Doors - Pettigrew Bakeries

"Work on the business not in the business"

Pettigrew Bakeries is the name of our new bakery which is going to open in 595 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park, Cardiff this coming spring 2016.

The brief is straightforward, we are expert bakers, we love all things baked, we make as much as we can ourselves from awesome local producers in our (very) little home in Pettigrew Tea Rooms, Bute Park. We use a serious amount of bread and have always wanted to bake our own but never had the space.

We are equally passionate about World class produce made right here in South Wales, served for the community in Cardiff and further afield. West Cardiff has a wonderfully vibrant community who support real local producers. We cannot wait to play our part in that local place, serving our style of traditional British baking on our doorstep, Ely, Canton, Llandaff, Fairwater, Victoria Park & beyond!

The builders move in tomorrow to start work in the regeneration, restoration and general transformation of this beautiful traditional Victorian shop.

I am going to document exactly what we are planning and how it will work out over the coming weeks, but first off here is some background about how we got where we are today. Sunday 29th November 2015.

Change!

A year ago my major concern was what would happen to the operation of Pettigrew Tea Rooms if I wasn't there, knowing that some major personal changes were looming meaning I wouldn't be able to continue managing my business and serving customers.

If you open your own business, success can hinge on how you embrace change. I cannot stress this enough. The tea rooms have demanded change that I could never have envisioned or predicted. To do the business justice we chose to embrace and adapt, often making painful changes along the way. This has been tough on everyone at the Tea Rooms, we keep our staff and they experience the difficulty and uncertainty change brings. There is one big benefit of continual change for improvement; when change comes, as one team, we are ready to embrace it with both hands.

A year ago my Supervisors became Managers taking the position as head of our family leading Pettigrew Tea Rooms. Our 4th year of operation has been the busiest by far, welcoming more people than ever, adding more complexities to our menu, cooked breakfasts, better ingredients, new local suppliers, more team members, challenges and triumphs.

Our Breakfasts have been a huge challenge to make a reality but a huge success, thanks to everyone who helped. Have a read about them here http://gourmetgorro.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/pettigrew-tea-rooms-bute-park-hunt-for.html

Image Credit Gourmet Gorro @GourmetGorro

Image Credit Gourmet Gorro @GourmetGorro

Nothing is perfect and there are many challenges ahead of us, but we have kept what we have always had, a passionate collective of skilled people who care about where they work and responding to make it better.

Gareth Davies Sugarcraft Artist November 2015

LIKE GARETH'S PAGE HERE https://www.facebook.com/Gareth-Sugarcraft-Artist-1431233547192965/

Standing still is not an option!

From the moment I knew that the Tea Rooms were a success there was a palpable expectation of "what's next?". So alongside the changes in my life and the establishment of the Tea Rooms I have been on a search.

How do you decide what to do next? There have been no less than 5 serious expansion opportunities in the past 4 years that have peaked my interest. Tea Rooms, Cake Business', Wholesale. I have a rule that if a door appears you need to give it a little push just to see where it leads you. From this plethora of possible expansion possibilities and having sat here writing (and deleting) for hours this morning, our final decision really comes down to this...

 I LOVE BAKERIES. The tea rooms exist, because I LOVE TEA ROOMS.

I adore bread, I love the magic of making it, the science, the alchemy, the variety, the technique, the spectrum of complexity to simplicity.

There is burgeoning talent in Pettigrew Tea Rooms and now I have the opportunity to give that talent a showcase.

Wholesale bread supply in Cardiff is under competitive. There is an opportunity for quality bakeries in South Wales who can supply quality and consistency not just to a local community but to the explosion of wonderful independent business' craving quality and consistent locally baked craft products. (Note I am NOT saying there are none, but there are certainly NOT enough!)

It is an honour and an adventure to become a supplier, I hope for Pettigrew Bakeries to join the ranks of incredible Welsh suppliers bringing craft, expertise and talent to our local market here in South Wales.

We have an opportunity ahead, it is a risk, a change beyond any we have embraced before. This is one door that pushed all the way open and this time we have leapt across the threshold, screaming I WANT TO BAKE FREE!

In the coming days the builders will move in to 595 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park and I will keep you updated on the progress of the works as we go. Breaking news is always delivered first on Twitter @PettigrewBakes

Peace x

David